by Terry Thornton
email: hillcountrymonroecounty@gmail.com
The recent post FAMILY DOCUMENTS, Hamilton, Monroe County, Mississippi: 1835 - 1910 (click to read) gives an inventory of thirty-eight recently recovered papers from early times in the Hill Country. That article establishes that the majority of documents in the collection belong to the WHITWORTH family. And there is no question that the Whitworths were A First Family of Monroe County.
Imagine my great surprise when I learned that the elder WHITWORTH of the documents, THOMAS JEFFERSON WHITWORTH was married to VESTA NIX, daughter of my great-great-great-grandparents, JOHN NIX and SARAH WINTERS NIX.
I had long known that among my line were connections to some of the other "First Family of Monroe County" settlers including the WEAVER, HOLLINGSWORTH, MURFF, SMITH, HOWELL, BOYD, and NIX families (and others). I have never done much research with my NIX line --- I knew that my grandmother was OPHELIA ELIZABETH NIX daughter of WILLIAM T. and NANCY HOWELL NIX and that she was the granddaughter of AARON NIX and NANCY STEWART NIX. And I had the names JOHN NIX and SARAH WINTERS NIX as the oldest in that line in Monroe County.
So these old papers are a special treat to me because my great-great-grand Aunt VESTA (or VESTY) placed her mark on one of the papers. Let's look at that small document. Left click images to see a larger view.
"$ 450 twelve monts after date I promise to pay T.J. Whitworth the som of four hundred and fifty dollars for value Received of him this the first day of May 1864 to be paid in gold or silver. Vesty [her mark] Whitworth"
Signature portion of the promissory note --- Vesty Whitworth's mark is clearly visible on the 144 year-old paper.
The promissory note was signed at a particularly momentous time in both the Whitworth family and in the annals of the Civil War: Two years had passed since the disaster at Shiloh; both battles of Bull Run were in the past; the battle at Gettysburg was over; and this note was signed about one year after Vesty and T.J. Whitworth's son, William B. Whitworth (1824 - 1863) was killed at Chickamauga, Georgia, in the horrible battle fought there; and in May 1864 General Sherman had started his infamous march across the South.
What remains to answer is to whom did Vesty borrow the money: her husband or her son, Thomas Jefferson Whitworth Senior or Thomas Jefferson Whitworth Junior? The note could easily have been between husband and wife as T.J. Senior was alive; he was buried in Monroe County in 1870 according to several researchers --- or the note could be from mother to son (T.J. Junior). The son with the same name died in 1873 and is buried in Roberts Cemetery in Monroe County.
I tend to believe that the promissory note was a record of an obligation made between husband and wife.
On the reverse of the promissory note are these words of which I can only translate: "I hold the property ____ for the _____"
If you have a suggestion for the rest of the wording, I'd most appreciate hearing from you.
I will not presume to speculate what this loan was about --- that it was done is of interest historically given the turn of events both within the family and within the South.
SOURCES:
1864 Promissory Note, Vesty Whitworth to T. J. Whitworth, $ 450 to be paid within twelve months in gold or silver of May 1 1864. Original document in possession of Terry Thornton, Fulton, Mississippi; photo-images of document made June 17, 2008.
Harlow, Jerry. "Cemetery Transcriptions." Monroe County Mississippi Genealogy Forum. Message 1996, February 26, 2006.
Turner, J.B., "Early Ancestors of N.E. Georgia Counties: Union, Towns, White, Lumpkin, Rabun, Habersham, Dawson, etc." RootsWeb, Ancestry.com. Accessed June 17, 2008.
Young, Robert. The Ancestors of "Will" and "Phelie" Hollingsworth. Privately printed, Prattville, Alabama, October 18, 1994.
7 comments:
Could it be "I hold the bond for the Nout" rather than Note?
Terry, I believe the wording is "I hold the property bound for the noat (note)." Makes me wonder if there was property obligated to secure the loan (land, personal property, etc.)and that property was being held by T.J. The trust deeds of Monroe County may shed light if the loan were recorded.
I also would think in that day and time, the money was borrowed from a grown son and not a husband.
Bob
Fascinating! Loved her mark on the so very old paper. Really neat.
Bob, above, is correct. This is an old way of referring to granting a security interest in real estate. It obviated the need for a second document, like a mortgage.
It's interesting to note that payment will only be accepted in gold or silver -- perhaps people were starting to wonder about the value of their Confederate cash.
Cheers.
ANN, BOB, TIPPER, and RANDALL,
Thanks all for your comments and for help with this note. Since writing the above I've learned that Thomas J. Whitworth Senior (Vesty's husband) died before September 1, 1856. The note (or security interest, thanks Randall) was therefore given to Thomas J. Whitworth Junior.
TERRY
Hello! :)
I believe we are cousins! My gggm is Cornelia Nix (dau of Miles Nix Jr and 1st cousin of Vesta). I do believe we have a photograph of her in advanced years. Vesta would be my 1st cousin (7 times removed, of course). Your blog seems to be a treasure trove of information!
Thanks Cousin Rio. Was that a photo of Vesty or of Cornelia? And are you willing to share a digital copy of it?
I'm still busy sorting out the Nix family and my connection to it through the Hollingsworths.
Good to hear from you.
Terry
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